1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a loading-stacking apparatus, and, more particularly, to a loading-stacking apparatus for loading bales, such as bales of hay, onto a truck, a trailer or the like and for subsequently unloading stacks of bales.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In harvesting crops such as hay, the current practice is to utilize mobile baling devices which collect the hay and form it into bales. The bales of hay are discharged to the ground as they are formed. Wagons or trucks are then driven over the field, and the individual bales are loaded thereon for transportation to a place of storage or the like.
While some bale wagons are still loaded and unloaded by hand, generally a lifting apparatus, such as a forklift truck, is utilized to lift the bales and to load them on the bale truck or wagon. When the bale wagon is completely loaded, the bale wagon and the forklift truck are driven to the desired place of storage. The forklift truck is then utilized to unload the bales and to stack them in the desired location. In cases the entire load is dumped and then the bales must be stacked. Not only do these methods require multiple workers and piecemeal unloading, they are inefficient and time consuming. In addition, a certain degree of skill is required on the part of the forklift driver to avoid bales falling from the bale wagon or entire bale stacks toppling if not stacked properly.
While a variety of complex accessory apparatus has been designed for loading bale wagons, such as conveyor apparatus and the like, none has been entirely satisfactory. In many cases, the loading apparatus is separate from the bale wagon and must be transported from bale to bale along with relocating the bale wagon. Much of this equipment is not only complex and expensive, it is single purpose and simply consumes storage space throughout most of the year.
Accordingly, there is a present need for a simple, inexpensive and efficient apparatus for loading and stacking bales, such as bales of hay. Desirably, such apparatus would be integrated with the bale truck or wagon and would not obstruct year-round use of such truck or wagon.